Chances are that if you have seen saxtress Candy Dulfer live in concert you will have seen Grammy-winning singer, multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter Chance Howard. More than a member of her backing band Howard has very often been front back and center of the high-octane offerings that Candy routinely delivers.
Having survived a horrific car wreck three years ago Howard is currently living in a rehab facility where he is learning how to walk again. Yet, teaming again with Dulfer, he has just released a smooth and soulful R&B re-imagination of The Beatles’ ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ that he has retitled ‘Buy Me Love’.
In fact Howard recorded ‘Buy Me Love’ prior to his accident which occurred when, exhausted from playing shows in the same week with Brian Culbertson in Chicago, Marcus Miller in Los Angeles and Dulfer in Minneapolis he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into the median.
It was in Amsterdam while on tour with Dulfer that he and Candy performed an impromptu version of ‘Buy Me Love’ during an informal nightclub jam session. After the gig, a married couple approached Howard and while they were unable to speak English they clearly loved the version of this timeless song. Days after the show, the husband unexpectedly passed away. His wife tracked down Howard and asked if he could record the song to be played at her husband’s memorial service. Howard sings and plays all the instruments on the track except for sax which, of course, comes from Dulfer.